Theater chair



o. F. SASS THEATER CHAIR Filed Aug. 14. 1953 InvEmt n1" Atl: urnegPatented Eept. 11, 1934 barren stares.

1,973,178 r THEATER snare.

@scar F. Sass, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, as! signer to -'llhe lnteriorHardwood Company Limited, Kitchener, @ntario, @anadauajointstool:company of @ntario v Application August M, 1933, Serial No. 684,973

Claims. (Cl. l5585) My invention relates to improvements in theaterchairs, and the object of the invention is to devise an improved meansfor automatically bringing the tiltable chair seat to a substantially 5vertical position. v

A further object is to construct a means for the above purpose whichwill be simple in construction, employing a minimum number of parts, andwhich can be readily assembled and taken apart.

A still further object is to devise a means which will be absolutelysilent in operation and which will be positive in action ensuring alwaysthat there will be a maximum clearance between the rows of seats.

With the above and other objects in view which will' hereinafter appear,my invention consists in its preferred embodiment of the constructionall as hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawingin which:-

Fig. 1 represents a front view of a theater chair constructed accordingto my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through my improved means fortilting the chair seat into the upright position.

Figv 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the line 44 (Fig. 3),and

Fig. 5 is a similar section through the line 5--5 (Fig. 3).

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in eachfigure.

According to my invention 1 provide the chair standards 1 with laterallyextending annular hollow bosses 2. As illustrated, where the chairs formpart of a row assembly in which the stand ards 1 of any chair also serveas a standard of the adjacent chairs on each side, such hollow bossesare double bosses as depicted in the drawing. The interiors of suchbosses are provided with inwardly projecting spaced lugs 3. A spindle 4is preferably secured in place in each boss 2, being disposedconcentrically of the axis thereof and where the boss is doubleprotruding into each interior portion thereof.

Each chair seat supporting arm 5 is provided intermediately of itslength with an annular hollow boss 6 having inwardly extendingprojections 7 extending into the interior thereof and a recess portion 8disposed concentrically for receiving the end of the spindle l.

The boss 6 of the chair seat supporting arm is so disposed that thespindle l is received in the recess portion 8 and the arm is thusadapted to swing on the spindle with the boss 6 in face to face relationto the boss 2 on the standard 1, the arm 5 being suitably secured to thechair seat inorthodox manner.

interposed between the boss 2 and boss 6 and extending into the interiorof each is an integrally formed resilient rubber member or sleeve 9having a central bore l0 through which the emen 4 freely extends, saidmember 9 having a'fperipheral flange 11 at one end with notches 12therein adapted to receive the ;lugs 3 inthe interior of the boss 2 thediameter of such fiange1l being substantially equal to theinternaldia'mete'r of the bossQZjSo as to be a snug fit therein [Theother end of. the member 9 is provided withja similar interruptedperipheral flange whereby projections 13"are constituted withintervening spaces 14 therebetween. This latter flange is disposed inthe interior of the boss 6, the projections '1 thereof being disposed inthe spaces 14 which are preferably of a greater length than theprojections to permit M or" a certain amount of lost motion therebetween.

Each boss 6 is provided with a bracket 15 extending towards the boss 2and provided with Q a suitable cushioning member 16 adapted to engage astop 1'7 suitably located on the standard 1 when the chair seat arm 5 isin the substantially horizontal position.

When the chair seat 18 is swung down into #1 the horizontal position asthe members 9 are held against rotation by the lugs 3 in the bosses 2,the projections 7 of the bosses 6 engaging projections 13 of the members9 and thus twistsuch members 9.

When the occupant rises from the chair, owing to the resiliency of themembers 9; such members automatically restore themselves to theirinitial position. In doing so their projections 13 engage the lugs I ofthe bosses 6 and swing the 5 chair seat 18 into the substantiallyvertical position wherein the maximum clearance is available between therows of chairs.

As will be seen on reference to Fig. 5 there is a certain amount of lostmotion in swinging the seat arms before the projections 7 engage theprojections 13. This is to avoid twisting the member 9 unduly. The seatis so fulcrumed that the rubber member on untwisting swings back theseat which motion is completed by the 9 weight of such seat.

What I claim as my invention is:

It. In a theater chair, the combination with a chair standard and achair supporting arm pivotally mounted thereon, of opposed open 1 endedannular bosses provided on the chair seat supporting arm and the chairstandard respectively and arranged concentrically and face to face, aconcentric spindle extending through the bosses and rotatable in one ofthem, a resilient rubber sleeve freely surrounding the spindle,extending into both bosses and anchored at one end in one of the bosses,and means in the other boss engageable with the other end of the sleevefor twisting it in a rotary direction upon the chair seat supporting armbeing swung down into a substantially horizontal position, said twistingmeans initially permitting 10st motion in its engagement with the end ofthe sleeve upon the chair seat supporting arm being turned down into asubstantially horizontal position. 7

2. In a theater chair, the combination with a chair standard including ahorizontally extending pivot spindle and a chair supporting armswingably mounted on such pivot spindle, of a resilient rubber sleevefreely surrounding the pivot spindle, means for directly connecting theends of the sleeve respectively to the chair standard and the chairsupporting arm, said sleeve being twisted in a rotary direction upon thechair supporting arm being swung down into a substantially horizontalposition, and upon the chair supporting arm being released untwistingitself to restore the former to its substantially vertical position, andmeans incorporated into the means for connecting the sleeve to the chairsupporting arm for permitting lost motion in the swinging of such chairsupporting arm.

3. In a theater chair, the combination with a chair standard and a chairsupporting arm, of an open ended annular boss on said standard, an axialspindle extending through the boss, an opposed open ended annular bosson said arm, the axial spindle extending freely and concentricallytherethrough, a resilient rubber sleeve disposed in said bosses andfreely surrounding the axial spindle being held against rotation in saidstandard boss, said rubber sleeve having a circumferential flange on theend received into the arm boss with spaced apart indentures extendingfrom the periphery of the flange towards the sleeve, and lugs extendinginwardly from the Wall of said arm boss into the said indentures.

4. In a theater chair as claimed in claim 3 wherein the lateral width ofthe indentures on the flange is greater than the lateral width of thelugs inserted thereinto.

5. In a theater chair, the combination with a chair standard and a chairsupporting arm, of an open ended annular boss on said standard, an axialspindle extending through the boss, an opposed open ended annular bosson said arm, the axial spindle extending freely and con- 100-centrically therethrough, a resilient rubber sleeve fully surroundingthe axial spindle and having circumferential flanges in the vicinity ofits ends with spaced apart indentures extending inwardly from theperiphery of each 105 flange towards the sleeves, and lugs extendinginwardly from the respective walls of the annular bosses into theindentures in the flanges.

